Pollution off the index again in China's capital
BEIJING (AP) — Beijing's pollution has reached especially high levels again as smog blankets much of China's central and eastern areas.
After days of worsening visibility on the capital's streets, the U.S. Embassy reported early Tuesday morning that the level of pollution was "beyond index." Since Saturday, it has reported hourly pollution levels as hazardous to human health.
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center says pollution across Beijing is severe and expected to persist because there is little wind to disperse pollutants. It advises city residents to stay indoors as much as possible.
According to U.S. Embassy readings, PM2.5 particles — among the worst pollutants — reached levels more than 18 times what the World Health Organization considers safe.
Beijing experienced another especially bad round of air pollution two weeks ago.
After days of worsening visibility on the capital's streets, the U.S. Embassy reported early Tuesday morning that the level of pollution was "beyond index." Since Saturday, it has reported hourly pollution levels as hazardous to human health.
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center says pollution across Beijing is severe and expected to persist because there is little wind to disperse pollutants. It advises city residents to stay indoors as much as possible.
According to U.S. Embassy readings, PM2.5 particles — among the worst pollutants — reached levels more than 18 times what the World Health Organization considers safe.
Beijing experienced another especially bad round of air pollution two weeks ago.
The state of OR is desperately seeking revenue, and since the whole 'cap & trade' and 'carbon offset credits' are such a big idea, why doesn't OR send China a bill for a couple hundred million? We've got millions of acres of trees that we cant touch, might as well get some money for them somehow.
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...oh, wait, that's right. Those proposals only work when the US and other 'western' nations are sending the money to other countries. Something in the physics of polluting particulate matter that makes 'western' pollution the only kind that succumbs to the money.Â
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My bad, carry on.Â
I can speak from personal experience that a lot of it is Mongolian dust, not industrial pollution. It may be cancer-causing, but it's not from cars or coal-burning. They cleaned up Beijing for the Olympics and the whole city has been brand-new looking ever since.
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A hundred km outside the city the sky is just as opaque - deforestation in the North and West has left the hills barren and allowed the dirt to be blown away in the Winter winds. Every year the winds carry the dust South and an air inversion holds it in place over central China - this year is worse than usual, but not atypical.
You have to wonder about the rates of cancer. It would be terrible to have to live in that swill.